New guy and new Car and Driver review on SS
Thread Starter
Joined: 03-10-2008
Posts: 3
From: New Jersey
New guy and new Car and Driver review on SS
Hi all, I just sign up to this site. I had been reading this forum for a month and really love the style of SS!
Currently I own a Ford SVT Focus and really love the car; handle really nice and most importantly it communicate to me. For $16000 I paid (after the rebate) it was a bargain! However it is not fast for today's standard (things change so much in 5 yrs...
). Still I would keep it until it die (never said that to any car I previously owned including 99 Civic Si and MB C coupe).
Still, I will have to purchase another car within this year, a bigger car (slightly) for the family and SS come to the top of my list! I had a really short drive once; it was nice! Maybe not as communicates as my Focus but handling performance is first rate, so as the shifter, clutch and brakes. However I came up some questions, it doesn't feel that fast, I drove a WRX the same day and WRX feel alot faster (handling feel too soft however!), could the car I drove using regular gas hence affect the engine output? Also, the engine is loud, I would love it before but as I am older I don't want the car to be noisy all the time. Is it noisy cruising on highway? And will I cause problem if I put sound deadening material on the hood and firewall (the heat from the turbo)?
Hope someone could answer me.
On different subject, Car and Driver just post a short test on SS:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...take_road_test
They said it isn't as fast and brake as good as MazdaSpeed 3, WRX and SRT4 but handle better. For me I think they are not being fair, Speed3 using Bridgestone 050 summer tires (SRT4 also using performance summer tires) which of course brake better, and help on 0-60 drag test. If you see the 5-60 rolling start test they are only 0.1 sec different. Not to mention SS is heavier (because it is bigger hence more interior space); and SS beating Speed3 on skidpad by using an all season tires means alot! If by number, I think WRX was the best, it is as heavy as SS, using a bad all season RE92 tires and pull a better performance than SS. But then I drove it and doesn't feel special beside the strong engine...
Wow, this is a long post, sorry! I got carry away!
Currently I own a Ford SVT Focus and really love the car; handle really nice and most importantly it communicate to me. For $16000 I paid (after the rebate) it was a bargain! However it is not fast for today's standard (things change so much in 5 yrs...
). Still I would keep it until it die (never said that to any car I previously owned including 99 Civic Si and MB C coupe). Still, I will have to purchase another car within this year, a bigger car (slightly) for the family and SS come to the top of my list! I had a really short drive once; it was nice! Maybe not as communicates as my Focus but handling performance is first rate, so as the shifter, clutch and brakes. However I came up some questions, it doesn't feel that fast, I drove a WRX the same day and WRX feel alot faster (handling feel too soft however!), could the car I drove using regular gas hence affect the engine output? Also, the engine is loud, I would love it before but as I am older I don't want the car to be noisy all the time. Is it noisy cruising on highway? And will I cause problem if I put sound deadening material on the hood and firewall (the heat from the turbo)?
Hope someone could answer me.
On different subject, Car and Driver just post a short test on SS:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...take_road_test
They said it isn't as fast and brake as good as MazdaSpeed 3, WRX and SRT4 but handle better. For me I think they are not being fair, Speed3 using Bridgestone 050 summer tires (SRT4 also using performance summer tires) which of course brake better, and help on 0-60 drag test. If you see the 5-60 rolling start test they are only 0.1 sec different. Not to mention SS is heavier (because it is bigger hence more interior space); and SS beating Speed3 on skidpad by using an all season tires means alot! If by number, I think WRX was the best, it is as heavy as SS, using a bad all season RE92 tires and pull a better performance than SS. But then I drove it and doesn't feel special beside the strong engine...
Wow, this is a long post, sorry! I got carry away!
Senior Member
Joined: 03-05-2008
Posts: 543
From: Medina, OH
I read the same article and thought they were crazy to compare those cars in the first place. They claim they are comparing other 5 door cars. But then make the statement that the HHR SS has 47% more cargo room then the closest competitor. Yeah, that sounds like they are comparing the same things to me...whatever.
Even with the improper comparison they still found the HHR SS to be middle of the pack with these little sport tuners. I was proud to own an HHR SS.
Not only can I give them a run for their money, I might have a car full of building supplies at the same time. Ha!
Even with the improper comparison they still found the HHR SS to be middle of the pack with these little sport tuners. I was proud to own an HHR SS.
Not only can I give them a run for their money, I might have a car full of building supplies at the same time. Ha!
Senior Member
Joined: 05-26-2007
Posts: 1,554
From: ...
330 hp tweaked SS engine (Solstice)
Senior Member
Joined: 03-04-2008
Posts: 137
From: Delaware, Smyrna
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